About

I advise individuals facing unfair or abusive criminal allegations abroad and help them to protect themselves, their families and their assets. I have particular expertise in advising high net worth individuals facing politically motivated criminal charges and in handling asylum claims with parallel extradition proceedings.

After spending my formative years defending individuals accused of serious crime and represented clients all the way from the police station up to the Court of Appeal, I joined a boutique immigration firm to work on some of the most complex asylum and extradition cases in the UK.

My clients are international and are often entrepreneurs. In many jurisdictions, successful or high profile individuals become the subject of abusive and politically motivated allegations. They may be attacked due to direct political involvement but more often it is simply because of their perceived opposition to the authorities in power or as part of an asset grab by the state or their commercial rivals.

Alongside defending the individual in extradition proceedings or in asylum and protection claims, I defend ancillary state-led actions against property including Unexplained Wealth Orders and Cash or Asset Forfeiture Proceedings. I have removed several individuals from EU Sanctions following applications to the General Court of the EU.

I am experienced in bringing applications to the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files and often remove improperly issued Red Notices. Clients also approach me looking to engage the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations.

Contact Thomas

Experience

  • Acting in complex asylum claims involving simultaneous extradition proceedings, I am used to handling particularly sensitive evidence. I have secured the anonymity of witnesses in both asylum and extradition proceedings and in some cases have secured a stay of the extradition proceedings pending the resolution of an asylum claim.
  • Acting in the first Unexplained Wealth Orders to be issued in the UK in respect of high value real estate. Advising both an individual and a professional trustee in another jurisdiction in respect of their disclosure obligations and in bringing novel legal challenges to the orders themselves.
  • Acting for an EU national facing extradition under a European Arrest Warrant in respect of an asylum claim that the Home Office declared as inadmissible. After Judicial Review proceedings, the Home Office conceded and rescinded the inadmissibility decision and agreed to consider the claim substantively.
  • Acting for an Israeli businessman who was indicted in the Russian Federation alongside several high profile individuals in a politically sensitive case. The Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files agreed that the case was politically motivated and they deleted the Red Notice against the client.
  • Acting for several individuals that were the subject of restrictive measures imposed by the EU for alleged misappropriation of state funds following the collapse of the Yanukovych Government in Ukraine in 2014 and ultimately securing their permanent removal from the EU sanctions list.

Expertise

Immigration

Personal Immigration

Our Team

Featured Insights

How can we partner with you?

Fladgate has always been structured around deep relationships, creating true partnerships with clients.

get in touch
Photo